Rival Ford Kenya Factions Directed To Resolve Leadership Wrangles Internally

Registrar of political parties has urged rival Ford Kenya factions to resolve their dispute internally.

This was after a section of the party members led by Secretary-General Esseli Simiyu met last week and voted to remove Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula as party leader.

The party intends to replace Wetangula with Kanduyi Member of Parliament Wafula Wamunyinyi on an interim basis.

In a letter, dated June 10, Ms Anne Nderitu noted that documents before her showed that both groups held NEC meetings at the same time with some members alleged to have attended both.

“The office verified the documents and other filed records and noted among other issues that two national executive Council meetings were held simultaneously. Some NEC members purportedly attended the two meetings on the same day.

“The party is hereby guided to resolve the matter at hand in line with the provision of Ford Kenya Party Constitution,” she said.

Should the groups fail to reach a consensus, Ms Nderitu said, they can invoke the dispute resolution mechanisms.

The letter sent to embattled party leader Wetangula was also forwarded to SG Simiyu Eseli.

On Monday, the registrar of political parties gazetted intended changes in Ford Kenya party leadership amid deep divisions.

In a gazette notice, Nderitu called on any party member with an issue with the intended changes to make submissions within a period of seven days before the changes are ratified.

Also targeted in the changes is the party’s organising secretary Chris Mandu Mandu. Josephine Maungu has been fronted as his replacement.

The leaders opposed to the changes accused ODM leader Raila Odinga and vocal trade unionist Francis Atwoli of meddling with Ford Kenya affairs.

Wetangula had termed his ouster as unlawful and archaic. He also threatened members who participated in the process with disciplinary action.

Consequently, he said, Eseli had been suspended as secretary-general by the real NEC members.